Accreditation Guide
Center surveys—the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and the Survey of Entering
Student Engagement (SENSE)—have long been a resource and a standard for measuring student engagement on
community college campuses. However, what is not well-known is that these tools can assist institutions
in making its case for meeting accreditation standards. While Center survey data are not direct measures
of student outcomes, they are measures of student behaviors: Center surveys measure the extent to which
students are engaged in educationally meaningful activities that are empirically linked to student success.
If used systematically over time, Center survey data can provide deep insights on the appropriateness
of institutional goals and demonstrate the extent to which an institution is meeting its educational
objectives. This guide serves as a tool for utilizing Center survey data. Please note that there are currently
two guides: one for CCSSE 2005-2016 and SENSE and another for CCSSE 2017-present and SENSE.
One of the most powerful ways institutions can utilize the following information is by understanding how other institutions have worked with Center survey data in the accreditation process. Please see the vignette section below for examples of how others have incorporated Center survey data into accreditation work.
If your institution would like to share how it has used Center survey data in the accreditation process, please contact us at info@cccse.org or 512-471-6807.
Download CCSSE 2005-2016 and SENSE guide here. (Updated March 2018)
Download CCSSE 2017-present and SENSE guide here. (Updated March 2018)
Vignettes
ACCJC:
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
HLC:
Higher Learning Commission
MSCHE:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
NEASC:
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
NWCCU:
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
SACSCOC:
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges